Minnechaug Bitten By Injury Bug But Keep Flying High

Coach Steve Allosso and the Minnechaug Regional High School football team were a picture of consistency for three years with Greg Heineman under center. This season has been a different story as injuries have seen three different Falcons attempt to fill the departed quarterback’s shoes.

First came Alan McDonald, an athletic dual-threat passer from North Carolina who lived up to high expectations before a shoulder injury forced him out of the position. Next came Anthony Roughgarden, who despite being a running back at the beginning of the year, played extremely well and seemed to have the Falcons on the right track.

Roughgarden, however, went down with an injury against Longmeadow, and leading receiver K.J. White was forced into relief duty. White struggled a bit against the Lancers, but he looked like a natural fit in a tough 31-8 loss to Central on Thanksgiving.

“Having a kid like (K.J.) is like manna from the gods,” Allosso said. “With all of the injuries we’ve had, to have a guy who can step up and play anywhere is absolutely huge.”

White has completed 6 of 27 passes for 54 yards and a touchdown in just over a game and a half at QB. Numbers, in this case, do not tell the whole story, as many of his incompletions have come in late-game situations or have been smart throwaways.

With the revolving door at the position throwing a wrench into Allosso’s system, the Falcons have had to look for consistency elsewhere. Two places they have found it are the defensive front and sophomore running back Ben Sheehan.

Seniors Demetri Strange, Jacob Tamasy, Tom Medeiros and Joe Borowiec have been stingy against the run, forming one of the most imposing defensive lines in the area. They held Central running back Aaron Owens to 67 yards, many of them coming outside the tackles.

On the other side of the ball, Sheehan has been a workhorse. He has rushed for 1,347 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging a staggering 7.3 yards per carry, giving stability to Allosso’s high-octane offense.

With the Western Massachusetts Division I playoffs on the horizon, the injury bug seems to be loosening its grip on the Falcons. Roughgarden was seen taking snaps Thursday and could be back for fourth-seeded Minnechaug's rematch with No. 1 Central Tuesday night at 5:15 at Chicopee Comp.

Should Roughgarden play, White would take his team-high 30 catches and 392 receiving yards back out wide, allowing the Falcons offense to perhaps take flight once again.